Percs and RBTA questions

Discussion in 'Inverts' started by jimmy_beaner, Jun 22, 2011.

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  1. jimmy_beaner

    jimmy_beaner Teardrop Maxima Clam

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2011
    Messages:
    822
    Location:
    Iowa City, Iowa
    So, I would really like the RBTA to host the clowns and I realize the clowns have a lot of choice in what they try to make their home. It's a bit frustrating because most of the time the clowns will actively swim around the anemone though they have touched it (without bad reaction). In fact, the other day I saw the male brush against a tentacle with no sticking what-so-ever. The RBTA sticks instantly to anything I touch it with, be it tongs, shrimp, turkey baster (all but the food on accident) and frequently will hold onto it for a long time. I'd have to assume from this that they've adjusted their slime coat and therefore should be "immune" to the RBTA.

    I've tried the whole picture of clowns in anemones thing (including percs in RBTA pictures... then there's no species confusion). The percs don't like seeing any other clowns anywhere near the tank and will frequently swim more vigorously and at the other side of the tank as well. I've even surrounded all 3 sides of the glass with multiple pictures for several days on end with no success. I realize that method isn't a sure thing, but had heard of some having luck.

    I've held up youtube videos of clowns in RBTAs (my phone) and the clowns have a definite reaction to the videos, again... being that they don't like other clowns. I have noticed after both of these events that they will spend more time looking at the RBTA, but just won't venture into it. I know both clowns have come into contact with the anemone without issue.

    Especially right now, there isn't much I can do with the anemone since it's recovering from its split... but what else is there to encourage the clowns to try out the RBTA? I've heard of putting them together in small containers, but I don't think I like that at all. They don't like being "shooed" or herded anywhere in the tank. They aren't bothering anything in terms of trying to occupy something else. And ultimately it's their choice but if there's something that's worked for others, I'm willing to give it a shot.

    I had heard of using a very small maroon (which should naturally jump right into the anemone) and then the percs would try to chase it off and steal the RBTA as their home. This seems a bit unethical. I've also heard of people putting up pictures of groupers and what not so the clowns seek their "defending anemone".
     
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  3. CODEE111

    CODEE111 Peppermint Shrimp

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2011
    Messages:
    405
    Maroon Clowns are pretty agressive fish. In my experience, a maroon will fight with smaller clowns and can kill them. I say this because I had a maroon that had to go back to the LFS after being told he would be Ok to add to my tank with other clowns. He wasn't and killed them.

    Once again, congrats on the split and I am still envious. Let them heal first before trying to get them to bond. A clownfish can do a lot of damage to a small recovering Nem and the Nem should be quite a bit bigger then the clown. I forget how much bigger but I'm sure someone else would know.

    I got my clowns to bond with the RBTA after a few weeks of paying no attention to it.

    I have noticed in the past that at feeding times, they are up at the top of the tank waiting for the food to come in...bunch of beggars they are....so what makes me any different than an Anemone?

    Why not use the food to get the clowns attention and to get them to bond? I stopped feeding the clowns and would give the Nem very small amounts of live brine shrimp which would stick to his tentacles. I noticed during the feeding, the clowns would stay very close to it and steal the pieces of food that managed to get away.

    About a week later, the clowns were inside the Nem. Then I started to feed the Nem normally and the clown (my female) still stayed with the Nem and even sleeps in it. The male would be there too except the female chases him away every time. She is very protective of what she thinks is hers.

    It may have been just a coincidence that they happened to bond during this experiment but up until this time, they went totally around it and actually had no interest in the Nem....until they got hungry and it was getting the only food being put in the tank.

    Also, I did keep a close eye on my clowns during feeding to make sure they did not starve to death. If they were'nt getting food, I would have given up and fed them....then started over again with the training.

    My theory was, the tank didn't have to be fed except the corals once a week and the clowns are the only fish in the tank. If it hadn't worked when coral feeding time came, I would have fed the tank and started over with the "training".
     

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